Hepatitis-B, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other blood carried diseases now require sanitary disposal of all articles contaminated with blood during normal usage. Perhaps the most singularly dangerous procedure exposing personnel to acquiring such blood transmitted diseases is surgery--especially if the subject of the surgery has a blood disease. Since the required time for detection of such diseases is not present where emergency procedures are required, it must be presumed that all patients are infected. Since scalpels cut flesh and flesh bleeds, scalpels are presumed to be, and are, extremely hazardous.
Because of such blood carried diseases, such scalpels must never inadvertently be re-used. Further, and once use occurs of a scalpel, it must be discarded in a disposition where the cutting edge is covered. The blade must not be exposed where further inadvertent cutting can occur--such as the puncturing of trash containers or the cutting of those handling trash.
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to disclose scalpel constructions where the scalpel blade can be permanently retracted to a "sharp-safe" disposition after use.